[Ansteorra] Participation vs. Recruitment

[Cionaodh O'Hosey]

On Jan 24, 2012, at 6:46 PM, Jeffrey Clark wrote:

> But the SCA is not a sports team, it is an educational organization  
> (or so
> the NPO filing allegedly states). This means that a local player who
> researches period blacksmithing and never makes it to an event is
> technically fulfilling the "mission" of the SCA than a fighter who  
> goes to
> every event and wins every tournament but can't tell you the first  
> thing
> about Talhoffer or Fiore.

Ok, so that is your vision of the SCA, a bunch of people who conduct  
period activities with out ever getting together? That is a better  
fulfillment of the SCA mission than being involved in a simulation of  
period fighting at an organized event for the enjoyment and  
instruction of all who attend? Interesting, obviously i don't agree.

> Then again, those of us who have a niche skill but don't make  
> events are
> not as useless as some might say. Sure, I teach classes about  
> period music
> infrequently and next to never make events, but how many historical
> musicologists are in the SCA? How many artisans in the SCA have  
> formal,
> conservatory training on period instruments? How many people in the  
> SCA can
> claim any real expertise in period *instrumental* music? Hell, how  
> many
> people in the SCA can play a viola da gamba? In Ansteorra, your  
> options for
> serious/obscure music questions pretty much are Master Avatar and  
> myself.
> So, while I'm not that active of a participant in the SCA, the work  
> and
> research I've done in my little niche field is still here and  
> available;
> and I'm sure that there are many others out there who are/were like  
> that.

Being the only one to be an expert in a period activity in the SCA is  
a lot like being the tallest building in a prairie town. And the fact  
that that expert is not available at our calendar events but who is  
only available in his local area means about as much to the people i  
am trying to get to participate in the SCA as the tallest building in  
a prairie town, eight hours away.

> Just because someone only plays at a local level does not mean that  
> they do
> not have something to offer at the kingdom level. Some I teach to  
> someone
> about music at one of the few events I go to may eventually find  
> its way
> into the hands of a kingdom player and make waves through the entire
> kingdom. Actually I heard a story a few years back (in Midrealm I  
> think)
> about someone who was made a laurel even though she barely ever  
> went to
> events (health issues, I think); she was a professional librarian  
> who did a
> good deal of research and publication using the resources that she had
> access to due to her professional ties.

According to that logic any one with a PhD. in history should not  
even have to show up, we should just send them their Laurel in the  
Mail right after they submit to us a copy of their thesis, by mail.  
It is not about "having something to offer" it is about actually  
showing up and actually offering it.

> Honestly, if I'm going to teach something, then I am going to teach  
> it to
> anyone who is interested -- regardless of whether or not they are  
> going to
> meet some, arbitrary benchmark of worthiness. The point of groups  
> like the
> SCA is to education *everyone* about our area(s) of interest. I  
> don't care
> if you are a veteran player asking for help with your A&S entry for  
> Gulf,
> or a 6-year-old with a plastic recorder -- both are equally worthy  
> of the
> time and effort.

The biggest problem with that statement is the "if i am going to  
teach.." it is easy to say if "i am going to teach i will teach it to  
anyone .." the point is "do you teach at calendar events" and when  
you do teach have you ever had the problem of having more people who  
want to learn what you teach than you can possibly teach? Because  
when you involve your self in something that is popular enough to  
draw more students than you have time to teach you have no choice but  
to decide who you will teach and who you will not, all I am saying is  
it is best for the SCA to teach the ones that will then go to another  
Calendar event to pass on what you have taught him. If your goal is  
to teach "any one who wants to learn" i would say teaching at a  
university would be a better forum.

Of course, i could be wrong.

Cionaodh O'Hosey